UKZN Doctoral Candidate Attends Summer Research School in Norway

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Information Systems and Technology doctoral candidate Mr Anthony Maina was one of the 100 PhD candidates selected from around the world to discuss and explore science advice with some of the best international practitioners at the University of Bergen’s Summer Research School in Norway.

The two-week research summer school created a platform for international lecturers and postgraduate students to explore interactions between research, policy and diplomacy to fulfil the Agenda 2030’s Sustainable Development Goals.

Maina – whose research supervised by Dr Upasana Singh relates to the use of information and communications technology (ICT) in healthcare - participated in the multidisciplinary working group titled: Agenda 2030: Poverty, Climate Change and Sustainability.

‘The panel’s objective was to analyse the theoretical and empirical links of challenges such as poverty, inequality and climate change using a scientific framework based on transdisciplinary research and sustainability science,’ said Maina.

‘Revaluation of the global agenda on sustainable development enabled me to see the bigger picture which every research problem ought to address. It was a joy to be part of a multidisciplinary team and to discuss various aspects of my research and the importance of communicating effectively about my work, especially with people from outside my discipline,’ he added.

Maina also presented a two-minute presentation on how his current research contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals.

‘Apart from medical equipment and drugs, eHealth is acknowledged as the third pillar that contributes to the efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare services,’ said Maina. ‘I hope that my research will not only contribute to a greater understanding of the pivotal role that emergent ICTs can play in healthcare but also address how to bridge the existing policy and regulatory gaps that may curtail introduction of these technologies,’ he said.

Looking to the future, Maina hopes his research will contribute towards a more effective national eHealth policy and regulatory framework in Kenya thus promoting the introduction of emergent ICTs, specifically the Internet of Things and big data technologies, in health service delivery.’

Words: Thandiwe Jumo

Photograph: Supplied